2017 LIMRA Annual Conference

The Consumer Imperative: Informed, Influential, & In Control

Who Attends

The LIMRA Annual Conference is one of the largest gatherings of senior executives representing diverse sectors of the financial services industry. Our members and partners come together for strategic industry insights and high-level networking — a must-attend for executives looking to help their companies respond to the consumer imperative.

Highlights

Today’s consumer is empowered, engaged, and aware, and the forces affecting our industry — technology, regulation, big data, innovation — all flow back to the consumer. While consumers have always had the ability to vote with their wallet or feet, they now have the power to influence not only what they buy, but also what others buy. Consumers dictate when and how they engage with brands, thanks to the power of social networks and digital devices.

Reaching consumers has become an imperative. How do we understand and market to customers who are informed, influential, and in control?

LIMRA’s 2017 Annual Conference will address this question, focusing on the issues that will inform our future relationships with consumers. The program features forward-thinking executives from diverse industries who will discuss key strategies in areas that will influence the future of reaching consumers where they are, including:

Distribution/Marketing — Getting the right product to the right consumer in the right way

Digital/Technology — From Fintech to Blockchain — applicability to our industry and accessibility to the consumer

Economic Climate — Interest rates, and the U.S. and global economies

This year’s event will be held in Maryland — near the action of Washington DC — which over the past months has undergone transformative change, and faces an uncertain future. We are expecting a large crowd so be sure to register early to secure your reservations.

Elite Strategic & Strategic Partners

Diamond Sponsors

Ruby Sponsors

Sapphire Sponsor

John Boehner

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (2011 to 2015)

Senior Strategic AdvisorSquire Patton Boggs

A former small businessman, John Boehner served as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly five years, during which he led the drive for a smaller, less costly, and more accountable federal government. He represented the Eighth Congressional District of Ohio in the House from 1991 to 2015. During his tenure, Boehner focused on removing government barriers to private-sector job creation and economic growth, addressing the drivers of America’s debt, and reforming Congress. After serving for nearly 25 years, Boehner joined Squire Patton Boggs, where he provides strategic advice to clients in the U.S. and abroad, and focuses on global business development.

George Blankenship

Former Executive

Tesla Motors, Apple Computer, and GAP Inc.

George Blankenship has 30 years of international strategy, retail and real estate experience. In his executive capacities at Tesla Motors, he redefined the car-buying experience, and in turn, revolutionized the auto industry. Prior to Tesla, Blankenship served as the senior executive of real estate at Apple, formulating strategies that lead to material, sustained increase in sales, profit and consumer loyalty. He has also functioned as a senior executive for real estate strategy at GAP Inc. Blankenship’s uniquely innovative processes have transformed status quo organizations into forward-thinking and dynamic players of the future. He offers unmatched insight on the building and creating of brand loyalty and awareness, competitive positioning in the market, and what it takes to deliver superior customer care.

John Brennan

CIA Director (2013 – 2017)

As Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2013 to 2017, John Brennan managed intelligence collection, analysis, covert action, counter intelligence and liaison relationships with foreign intelligence services. Before becoming director, Brennan served at the White House for four years as assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism. During that time, he advised the President on counterterrorism strategy and helped coordinate the U.S. government’s approach to homeland security, including its policies for responding to terrorism, cyberattacks, natural disasters and pandemics. In addition to serving the government in the CIA for twenty-five years, Brennan worked for three years in the private sector.

Tom Crawford

Senior Managing Director, Strategic Communications

FTI Consulting

As a senior member of the Public Affairs practice, Tom Crawford advises boards of directors, executive teams, and senior decision-makers on public-policy issues that pose opportunities and challenges to their organizations' enterprise values. He has worked on every budget reconciliation and tax-measure package considered by Congress in the past two decades. Prior to FTI Consulting, Crawford was a founding partner of government-affairs and lobbying firm, C2 Group. There he oversaw the firm’s growth and development into a “Top 20” independent lobbying firm in Washington, D.C. As a respected public-policy expert, Crawford is also a member of The Tax Council, and chairman of the board of directors at Harvard University’s Center on Media and Child Health.

Mick Ebeling

Founder & CEONot Impossible Labs

AuthorNot Impossible: The Art and Joy of Doing What Couldn’t Be Done

A
recipient of the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award, Mick Ebeling has
sparked a movement of pragmatic, inspirational innovation. Ebeling harvests the
power of technology and story to change the world, founding Not Impossible on
the premise that nothing is impossible. His mantra of "commit, then figure
it out" allows him to convene a disparate team of hackers, makers and
thinkers to create devices that better the world by bringing accessibility for
all. Ebeling pushes the bar on innovation, shares the emotionally resonating
story of doing so and inspires people across the world to do the same.

Thomas Marra, FSA, MAAA

Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer

Symetra Financial Corporation

Tom Marra leads Symetra Financial Corporation and its insurance subsidiaries, and is a member of the company’s board of directors. He has more than 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, beginning in 1980 when he joined The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. as an actuarial student. While at The Hartford, Marra held increasingly senior positions, most recently as president and chief operating officer of the parent company. He is a past chairman of the board of the American Council of Life Insurers, and was inducted into the Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions and leadership in the insured retirement industry.

Ted Mathas

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

New York Life Insurance Company

Ted
Mathas leads New York Life Insurance Company, the nation’s largest mutual life
insurer. He became CEO in July 2008 and
was named Chairman of the Board in June 2009. Mathas is a member of the Federal Advisory Committee on
Insurance, a group of state legislators and regulators, insurance executives,
academics and consumer advocates that advises the Federal Insurance Office of
the U.S. Department of the Treasury. He also serves on the Executive Committee
of the Financial Services Roundtable, and on the boards of the American Council of Life Insurers, the American Museum
of Natural History, and the Partnership for New York City.

Robert Reynolds

President and Chief Executive Officer

Putnam Investments and Great-West Financial

Robert Reynolds is President and Chief Executive Officer of Putnam Investments and President of the Putnam Funds. Building upon a distinguished 30-year career, he has revitalized Putnam through strong, sustained investment performance, new product development, and thought leadership on the future of retirement and workplace savings. In addition to his Putnam responsibilities, Reynolds is President and CEO of Great-West Financial. He is regarded as a driving force of innovation and progress in institutional and retail financial services. Reynolds has earned multiple industry honors for his accomplishments, and was named Fund Leader of the Year at the Mutual Fund Industry Awards in 2010.

Early Registration Rates:Member: $1,325LOMA Member (but not LIMRA): $1,990Non-member: $2,650

If five (5) or more individual employees from the same LIMRA member company register for this meeting, each individual registrant may take
advantage of a group registration discount of $150 by entering the promo code QTYDIS1. Individuals
using this registration option must register at the full conference
registration fee. Presenter registrations and individuals utilizing any other
discounts do not qualify towards the required five registrant per company
minimum. Please note that if a registrant's company does not ultimately meet
the aforementioned eligibility criteria (e.g. there are fewer than five
registrants from a company who paid the qualifying full conference fee),
registrants will receive a notice of any balance due based on the difference
between the regular applicable rate and the group discounted rate. Contact customer.service@limra.com with any questions.

Cancellation Policy

In the event that a scheduled meeting or event is cancelled by LIMRA for any reason, LIMRA shall refund any conference registration fees that have been paid by the registrant. Under no circumstances, however, shall LIMRA be liable to the registrant for any other expenses including, but not limited to, airfare and hotel expenses incurred by the registrant.

All cancellations must be received in writing. Email customer.service@limra.com. Cancellations received before September 29, 2017, will be refunded, less a $75 processing fee. Cancellations received from September 29, 2017 to October 13, 2017 will be refunded, less a $375 processing and administrative fee. No refunds will be issued after October 13, 2017.

Companies have struggled to access and engage consumers in working and middle class markets via traditional face-to-face distribution. Interest in serving these markets online has accelerated as other industries meet the challenge of the empowered consumer and raise the bar with engaging online experiences. But which consumer groups are most receptive to buying life insurance online? Are there specific strategies that might motivate more people to consider an online purchase? This session will explore the reality of consumer preferences for the online experience and offer considerations for companies looking to develop (or improve) their online sales channel.

“Financial Wellness” . . . it’s something everyone’s talking about; but, on many levels, it remains an elusive concept. This session will shed light on what financial wellness is, what it means for employers and individuals, and what providers and other stakeholders are doing to promote it.

Along with the rise of the consumer, over the past several years companies have increasingly focused on the role of customer experience in their strategic planning. The financial services industry has not been immune to this trend, paying considerable attention to understanding and improving the client experience. This session will feature a panel discussion with representatives from two companies addressing issues like the influence of the pursuit of customer-centricity on their strategic plans, efforts to manage experience, specific challenges they have encountered, and lessons learned.

Blockchain is gaining momentum in the financial services industry. Its ability to record and verify data by distributed ledger will give companies the ability to speed up transactions and lower costs. Many financial institutions are currently evaluating the technology to determine how they can use it to improve cybersecurity, contracts, automation, and auditing. There are also several hundred blockchain start-ups globally looking to partner to develop solutions. This session will explore where and how blockchain is expected to have impact, what challenges need to be addressed to realize its potential, and how companies should consider blockchain and their business.

Fiduciary duty has become an imperative. While the industry’s response has been largely centered around pursuit of low-cost-fees and determining reasonable compensation, for most, the ‘best interest’ mandate could necessitate consideration of the need for guarantees and the transfer of financial risk. Come hear how industry experts view guarantees in a fiduciary world and how the DOL Fiduciary Rule may have a positive impact for insurance products.

The industry is rapidly developing ways to streamline the underwriting process and automate underwriting decisions. Doing so successfully relies on building solutions that incorporate expertise from a variety of home office experts, and that also work well for distribution partners and consumers. This session will bring together the perspectives of home office staff such as underwriting, analytics, and legal, as well as distribution.

The RIA industry has experienced substantial growth in the past decade. Yet insurance companies have had little success with this market, despite the considerable time RIAs spend on retirement income planning. So where is the disconnect? Is it time to step back from our success in the traditional B-D/bank advisor model, and think about ways to engage the RIA market differently? If you build it (right), they will come! Attend this session to learn how RIAs do business, the products that work, the technology, and the go-to-market strategies for this fast-growing channel.

Today’s empowered consumers use technology in practically everything they do. As such, it is important for financial services organizations to embrace and build a culture around technology solutions and create an engaging client experience. Companies can successfully align their digital initiatives along the customer journey to enhance existing client relationships and foster new ones. But, oftentimes, opportunity presents challenges. How do organizations position digital strategies today for success in the future? This session will explore how organizations are leveraging technology to enhance the customer journey and drive profitable growth for the future.

TRACY BRUCKSCHEN, Allianz Life Insurance Company of North AmericaMICHELE ROEPKE, Allianz Life Insurance Company of North AmericaKARIN SARRATT, OneAmerica

Hiring and retaining top employees has always been a challenge — more so during changing times. There is no question that our industry will continue to be turbulent. With newer generations entering the workforce at a higher rate, creating a demand for unique and different cultures, how are today’s HR teams getting creative to hire and retain top talent? This session will include various perspectives on successful approaches to solving this inherent challenge.

Will venture capital (VC) investors fund a revolution of ideas and solutions necessary to bring our industry into the digital age? This workshop will engage representatives for the VC world and the insurance-industry-focused entrepreneurs they support. Experience the exciting realities of start-up companies trying to deliver innovation to a historically slow-evolving industry.

Close to forty percent of
today's customer interactions take place during life events and most likely
from mobile platforms. Delivering an excellent experience to customers means
capturing many data points, applying sophisticated analytics and factoring in
unknown parameters to develop probability views that predict with a high degree
of certainty what customers will need in the near future, providing a clear
line of site into opportunities to engage prior to the life event and deepen
relationships. In this session we will discuss how one major insurance firm's
marketing is tackling disconnected data and technologies to move far beyond
basic segmentation methods with the application of strong prediction
algorithms.

As consumers go online for everything, our industry continues to develop digital strategies to meet consumers where they are. With so many pieces to consider (websites, email, social media, analytics, search, etc.), where do we start and how can our digital strategy work for our entire enterprise? At this session, you will learn best practices for a digital strategy and hear from companies sharing their digital journeys and lessons learned.

How do we navigate the new environment in Washington, the context for policy and politics, and the implications for the financial services industry, consumers, and the future? As a follow-up to his general session, Crawford will discuss the approach to advancing the industry with policymakers and consumers, and how to be relevant to today’s issues and challenges.

Building a better mousetrap — re-imagine product design and delivery to reach new untapped markets by uncovering the unmet needs of a new demographic. Several company case studies will give attendees insights into how to identify opportunities for pioneering new ideas — and how to bring those ideas to market.

The Trump Presidency: What’s Next for Our Democracy

John Boehner

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (2011 to 2015)

Senior Strategic AdvisorSquire Patton Boggs

In this timely presentation, John Boehner will address the current political situation, economic growth, and America’s role in the world. During his time in the House, Boehner focused on removing government barriers to private-sector job creation and economic growth, addressing the drivers of America’s debt, and reforming Congress. He is respected on both sides of the political fence for his efforts to put the country first and find common ground without compromising principles. Having served with most of the current leaders of the House, he is uniquely positioned to discuss the current administration and its potential to affect our companies and consumers in the future.

If you receive any unsolicited or suspicious email or phone call about a hotel booking in conjunction with this meeting, our advice is not to click on it, but delete the email immediately. In the case of a phone call, never give out your credit card information. Our designated conference hotels will never call you unless you contact them first.

The LIMRA Annual Conference room block has closed and the hotel is currently showing as sold out. We encourage you to contact the Gaylord directly, as cancellations may open rooms at the prevailing rates.

These hotels are within a short walking distance. Please contact them directly for availability and rates.